


No Friends, No Benefits

by misura



Category: The Malazan Book of the Fallen - Steven Erikson
Genre: F/M, Implied Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 20:04:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15825999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: Lostara makes an effort to indulge herself.





	No Friends, No Benefits

_Blissful silence._

Closing her eyes took an effort, considering the company. Still, once she'd managed it, with the only sound filling the tent that of her own slightly ragged breathing, the company was easily forgotten, or rather: its name and face and unfailing ability to annoy, vex and pester.

Instead, she might simply lean back and enjoy herself. Focus on keeping her breathing from growing even more ragged, which would be an unacceptable loss of control - in any company.

_Not that there's been a lot to pick from, recently._

True, she didn't often feel the need or inclination for that particular kind of company. Few people seemed to approach these sorts of things the way she did - the way any practical, reasonable person with far more important concerns than what they had between their legs would.

_Mind, in this moment, I might be in no position to throw stones._

_Though I might manage a knife._

"Some indication that you're appreciating my efforts here might be nice, you know," Pearl said.

_The more fool, me, for thinking he wouldn't ruin the moment._ She supposed she might take satisfaction in the fact that he sounded more than a little out of breath, but - _alas, it was a different sort of satisfaction I was after._

"The way I grabbed your hair just now didn't clue you in?"

Opening her eyes to find him on his knees was well enough, if also an unwelcome reminder of what he looked like, and how he looked at her from time to time, when he thought he was being charming.

"It felt more aggressive than appreciative, if you must know the truth." Pearl huffed.

_When must any of us ever know the truth? Must the Adjunct know the truth about her sister? Must the Empress, about her Adjunct? Must you, about my feelings, which are nowhere near as tender as you would wish to believe?_

_Truly, I had expected better from a Claw._

"I am an aggressive woman, Pearl. I thought you knew that."

"Well, yes, and it's all part of your charm, but even so, there's a time and a place for such things."

"Such as here and now?"

Pearl sighed. "I had been hoping to put you in a gentler mood, lass."

_Then perhaps you should have focused on doing that, instead of opening your mouth to speak._ It was a mystery to her how he could have spent so much time in her company and still be so clueless. Given his occupation, she'd have expected him to be observant, at least. How could one expect to get close enough to people to kill them when the mere sound of your voice made them want to hit you?

"I think you may have mistaken me for someone else."

"Never."

"Well then. Are we done?" Finding someone to hit should be easy enough, in this place. The trick would be finding someone who'd make it worth her while.

_Two should do. Drunk, but not so drunk that they can't see straight. Maybe three._

Pearl sighed again. "Must you always be so defensive?"

"Mere moments ago you said I was aggressive. Can't you at least be consistent?" _Of course you can't. Might as well ask water to stop being wet._

"I dislike leaving things unfinished," Pearl said.

_To leave something unfinished, you must have started it, first._ "Whereas I dislike people who interrupt what they're doing only to talk. I realize that it's your favorite pastime and that it must pain you to keep quiet for longer than five minutes. It's just one more entry in a long, long list of your flaws."

"If that's an offer, I'll reluctantly accept."

_In what way did that sound like an offer, Claw?_ Wishful thinking on his part, clearly, for all that a small part of her was not entirely averse to the idea of simply staying here and permitting him to go back to what he, or rather: his mouth had been doing before.

"Are you going to whine again when I grab your hair?" Not that she was likely to do so any time soon.

"I'll know to accept any sounds, gestures and exclamations as simple signs of your pleasure, regardless of what they might look, feel or sound like."

_The vanity of men._ She'd have to stay quiet, remain unmoving. Keeping her eyes open should help, though it was all but guaranteed to spoil her pleasure.

It might be sweet to bear witness to his mounting frustration, but then, she did have better things to do with her time than amuse herself. _Closed, then. Pretend that mouth belongs to anyone else, get off and move on to other things, things of actual substance and importance._

She made sure to grab his hair while she was still aware of who he was, savoring his wince of pain.


End file.
